Abstract: Objectives: We investigated the anti-diabetic effects of hydrolyzed ginseng extract for Korean participants in an eight-week, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial.Methods: Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) participants (5.6≤FPG

Abstract: Background: Biological control of plant pathogens using benign or beneficial microorganisms as antagonistic agents is currently considered to be an important component of integrated pest management in agricultural crops. In this study, we evaluated the potential of Bacillus subtilis HK-CSM-1 as a bio-control agent against Colletotrichum panacicola.Methods: B. subtilis strain HK-CSM-1 used for its potential as a bio-control agent of ginseng anthracnose. C. panacicola were inoculated to ginseng plants, and disease incidence and severity assessment were carried out to examine biocontrol efficacy of the bacterium against the disease.Results: Inoculation of P. ginseng plants with B. subtilis significantly suppressed the number of disease lesions of C. panacicola and was as effective as chemical fungicide (Iminoctadinetris [albesilate]). The antifungal activity of B. subtilis against C. panacicola was observed on a co-culture medium. Interestingly, B. subtilis treatment did not significantly affect the diameter of the lesions, suggesting that the mechanism of protection was through the reduction in the incidence of infection related to the initial events of the infection cycle including penetration and infection via spore germination and appressorium formation rather than by the inhibition of invasive growth after infection.Conclusion: Our results suggest that B. subtilis HK-CSM-1 can be used as an effective and ecologically friendly bio-control agent of anthracnose in P. ginseng.

Abstract: In order to understand the effect of dietary components on the absorption of ginsenosides and their metabolites into the blood, we studied the pharmacokinetics of the ginseng extract and its main constituent ginsenoside Rb1 in rats with or without pretreatment with a prebiotic fiber, NUTRIOSE®, by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). When ginsenoside Rb1 was incubated with rat feces, its main metabolite was ginsenoside Rd. When the intestinal microbiota of rat feces were cultured in vitro, their ginsenoside Rd-forming activities were significantly induced by NUTRIOSE®. When ginsenoside Rb1 was orally administered to rats, the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma drug concentration time curve (AUC) for the main metabolite, ginsenoside Rd, was 72.4 ± 31.6 ng/mL and 663.9 ± 285.3 μg·h/mL, respectively. When the ginseng extract (2,000 mg/kg) was orally administered, Cmax and AUC for ginsenoside Rd were 906.5 ± 330.2 ng/mL and 11,377.3 ± 4,470.2 μg·h/mL, respectively. When ginseng extract was orally administered to rats fed NUTRIOSE® containing diets (2.5%, 5%, or 10%), Cmax and AUC were increased in the NUTRIOSE® receiving groups in a dose-dependent manner. These findings reveal that intestinal microflora promote metabolic conversion of ginsenoside Rb1 and ginseng extract to ginsenoside Rd and promote its absorption into the blood in rats. Its conversion may be induced by prebiotic diets such as NUTRIOSE®.

Abstract: Background: White ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) is commonly distributed as a health food in food markets. However, there is no practical method for distinguishing Korean white ginseng (KWG) from Chinese white ginseng (CWG), except for relying on the traceability system in the market.Methods: Ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry combined with orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) was employed to discriminate between KWG and CWG.Results: The origins of white ginsengs in two test sets (1.0 μL and 0.2 μL injections) could be successfully discriminated by the OPLS-DA analysis. From OPLS-DA S-plots, KWG exhibited tentative markers derived from ginsenoside Rf and notoginsenoside R3 isomer, whereas CWG exhibited tentative markers derived from ginsenoside Ro and chikusetsusaponin Iva.Conclusion: Results suggest that ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry coupled with OPLS-DA is an efficient tool for identifying the difference between the geographical origins of white ginsengs.

Abstract: The roles of immune reaction and toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) have been widely established in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). We evaluated the biologic efficacy of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG), urushiol, and probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011 and Lactobacillus acidophilus R0052) in mouse models of ALD. Sixty C57BL/6 mice were equally divided into 6 feeding groups for 10 weeks: normal diet, alcohol, control, alcohol+KRG, alcohol+urushiol, and alcohol+probiotics. Alcohol was administered via a Lieber–DeCarli liquid diet with 10% alcohol. TLR-4 expression, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and histology as well as the results of liver function tests were evaluated and compared. No between-group differences were observed with regard to liver function. TLR-4 levels were significantly lower in the KRG, urushiol, and probiotics groups than in the alcohol group (0.37±0.06, 0.39±0.12, and 0.33±0.07, respectively vs. 0.88±0.31 ng/ml, p

Abstract: We established an efficient in vitro protocol for somatic embryogenesis and plantlet conversion of Korean wild ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer). Wild-type and mutant adventitious roots derived from the ginseng produced calli on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 0.3 mg/L kinetin; 53.3% of the explants formed callus. Embryogenic callus proliferation and somatic embryo induction occurred on MS medium containing 0.5 mg/L 2,4-D. The induced somatic embryos further developed to maturity on MS medium with 5 mg/L gibberellic acid (GA3) and 85% of them germinated. The germinated embryos were developed to shoots and elongated on MS medium with 5 mg/L GA3. The shoots developed into plants with well-developed taproots on 1/3 strength Schenk and Hildebrandt (SH) basal medium supplemented with 0.25 mg/L 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). When the plants transferred to soil, about 30% of the regenerated plants developed into normal plants.

Abstract: Background: Ginsenosides are the major components responsible for the biochemical and pharmacological actions of ginseng, and have been shown to have various biological activities. In this study, we investigate the antiviral activities of seven ginsenosides (PT type: Re, Rf, and Rg2; PD type: Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rd) against coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), enterovirus 71 (EV71), and human rhinovirus 3 (HRV3).Methods: Assays of antiviral activity and cytotoxicity were evaluated by the SRB method using cytopathic effect (CPE) reduction assay.Results: Antiviral assays demonstrated that, of the seven ginsenosides, the PT type ginsenosides (Re, Rf, and Rg2) possess significant antiviral activities against CVB3 and HRV3 at a concentration of 100 μg/mL. Among the PT type ginsenosides, only ginsenoside Rg2 showed significant anti-EV71 activity with no cytotoxicity to cells at 100 μg/mL. The PD type ginsenosides (Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rd), on the other hand, did not show any significant antiviral activity against CVB3, EV71, and HRV3, and exhibited cytotoxic effects to virus-infected cells. Notably, the antiviral efficacies of PT type ginsenosides were comparable to those of ribavirin, a commonly used antiviral drug.Conclusion: Collectively, our findings suggest that the ginsenosides Re, Rf, and Rg2 have the potential to be effective in the treatment of CVB3, EV71, and HRV3 infection.